Sept. 26 wine-tasting event to raise funds for food pantry

Johnstown community members can help those in need while sampling wines and cheeses, Saturday, Sept. 26, at the third annual charity wine tasting from 6 to 9 p.m. at the home of John and Ann Lodder, 1238 S. Watkins Road, Alexandria.

Proceeds will benefit the Johnstown-Northridge Community Food Pantry, an organization close to the heart of Mrs. Lodder, the event’s organizer and founder.

“I knew there was a need for help at the food pantry and we wanted to find a unique way to give back,” Lodder said. “It was really a grassroots effort and when the first one in 2013 went so well, we kept doing it.”

The event is like a mature food drive, she said.

“It’s a way for adults who can’t physically be at the food pantry to give back and support the community,” Lodder said. “There’s still a lot of hungry people in Johnstown and the Northridge area.”

Tickets include eight, 1-ounce pours of wine and plenty of food, hand-picked by Lodder.

“We try to offer a variety of wines, usually four reds and four whites, both dry and sweet,” she said. “We also make sure no one leaves hungry.”